Ōdō Tournament
is a tournament held annually by All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) since 2013. The single-elimination tournament is a spiritual successor to the Open Championship tournament, which was held in 1975. Typically, the winner of the tournament earns a future match for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. History On July 30, 2013, All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) announced a new single-elimination tournament, set to take place the following September. Masanobu Fuchi, advisor to the AJPW board of directors, announced that the tournament was open to both Japanese and foreign wrestlers regardless of their weight divisions. This sets it apart from AJPW's top tournament, the Champion Carnival, which is generally exclusive to heavyweight wrestlers. Since its inception, the tournament has been subtitled "Open Championship", which was a similar openweight tournament held by AJPW in 1975. In the spirit of keeping the new tournament different from the Champion Carnival, the elimination format was set for use (the 1975 tournament was round-robin, as opposed to the Carnival which at the time was by elimination). Fuchi hailed Ōdō Tournament as the start of AJPW's rebirth, coming in the heels of a mass exodus of wrestlers that led to the formation of the Wrestle-1 promotion. The winner of the tournament, if not already the reigning champion, will become the number one contender to the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. On September 23, Suwama became the only wrestler to win the tournament twice in 2016 and 2017. List of winners 2013 The 2013 Ōdō Tournament took place between September 11 and 23 and featured sixteen wrestlers. The participants and brackets were revealed on August 11. Included were the reigning Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Suwama and four outside wrestlers; Mexican Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) representative Dark Cuervo, American freelancers D'Lo Brown and Low Ki and Austrian freelancer Bambi Killer. As part of the openweight nature of the tournament, Atsushi Aoki, Kotaro Suzuki and World Junior Heavyweight Champion Yoshinobu Kanemaru from AJPW's junior heavyweight division also entered the tournament. The tournament marked the first tour under an AJPW contract for longtime freelancer Akebono, who signed his contract on September 1. On September 15, Suwama, the reigning Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, was eliminated from the tournament in the second round by his former Last Revolution tag team partner Joe Doering. After being eliminated from the tournament on September 16 by Akebono, Low Ki was sidelined for the rest of his AJPW tour with an abdominal injury. The injury eventually led to Low Ki announcing his retirement from professional wrestling on October 14 due to AJPW supposedly not honoring their contractual obligation of medical care. He, however, returned to the ring the following summer. On September 23, Akebono defeated Go Shiozaki in the finals of the tournament to become the first Ōdō Tournament winner. Following the win, Akebono went on to defeat Suwama on October 27 to win the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship for the first time. | RD1-team03 ='Low Ki' | RD1-team04 =Dark Cuervo | RD1-score03=Pin | RD1-score04=08:27 | RD1-team05 ='Bambi Killer' | RD1-team06 =KENSO | RD1-score05=Pin | RD1-score06=13:24 | RD1-team07 ='Takao Omori' | RD1-team08 =Atsushi Aoki | RD1-score07=Pin | RD1-score08=09:59 | RD1-team09 ='Go Shiozaki' | RD1-team10 =Kotaro Suzuki | RD1-score09=Pin | RD1-score10=18:36 | RD1-team11 ='Yoshinobu Kanemaru' | RD1-team12 =D'Lo Brown | RD1-score11=Pin | RD1-score12=07:26 | RD1-team13 ='Joe Doering' | RD1-team14 =SUSHI | RD1-score13=Pin | RD1-score14=03:47 | RD1-team15 ='Suwama' | RD1-team16 =Kento Miyahara | RD1-score15=Pin | RD1-score16=19:45 | RD2-team01 ='Akebono' | RD2-team02 =Low Ki | RD2-score01=Pin | RD2-score02=07:03 | RD2-team03 ='Bambi Killer' | RD2-team04 =Takao Omori | RD2-score03=Pin | RD2-score04=13:12 | RD2-team05 ='Go Shiozaki' | RD2-team06 =Yoshinobu Kanemaru | RD2-score05=Pin | RD2-score06=14:32 | RD2-team07 ='Joe Doering' | RD2-team08 =Suwama | RD2-score07=Pin | RD2-score08=12:18 | RD3-team01 ='Akebono' | RD3-team02 =Bambi Killer | RD3-score01=Pin | RD3-score02=06:13 | RD3-team03 ='Go Shiozaki' | RD3-team04 =Joe Doering | RD3-score03=Pin | RD3-score04=15:03 | RD4-team01 ='Akebono' | RD4-team02 =Go Shiozaki | RD4-score01=Pin | RD4-score02=17:40 }} 2014 The 2014 Ōdō Tournament took place between September 15 and 28 and featured sixteen wrestlers. The participants and brackets were revealed on August 17. Included were the reigning Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Joe Doering, the defending Ōdō Tournament winner Akebono and one qualifying match, set for August 30 between SUSHI and Yohei Nakajima. Joe Doering, the reigning Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion, was eliminated from the tournament in his first round match on September 15 by Go Shiozaki, while veteran wrestler and AJPW's new president Jun Akiyama, for the second year in a row, was also eliminated in his first round match by Kento Miyahara. Akebono, the defending Ōdō Tournament winner, was eliminated from the tournament in the semifinals on September 22 by Suwama. On September 28, Shiozaki defeated Suwama in the finals to win the second Ōdō Tournament. Shiozaki received his shot at the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship on October 29, but was defeated by Doering. | RD1-team03 ='Yoshinobu Kanemaru' | RD1-team04 =Hikaru Sato | RD1-score03=Pin | RD1-score04=14:00 | RD1-team05 =SUSHI | RD1-team06 ='Zeus' | RD1-score05=Pin | RD1-score06=10:06 | RD1-team07 ='Go Shiozaki' | RD1-team08 =Joe Doering | RD1-score07=Pin | RD1-score08=19:48 | RD1-team09 ='Suwama' | RD1-team10 =Atsushi Aoki | RD1-score09=Sub | RD1-score10=15:57 | RD1-team11 =The Bodyguard | RD1-team12 ='Takao Omori' | RD1-score11=Pin | RD1-score12=14:01 | RD1-team13 ='Kotaro Suzuki' | RD1-team14 =KENSO | RD1-score13=Pin | RD1-score14=09:24 | RD1-team15 =Yutaka Yoshie | RD1-team16 ='Akebono' | RD1-score15=Pin | RD1-score16=07:26 | RD2-team01 ='Kento Miyahara' | RD2-team02 =Yoshinobu Kanemaru | RD2-score01=Pin | RD2-score02=12:20 | RD2-team03 =Zeus | RD2-team04 ='Go Shiozaki' | RD2-score03=Pin | RD2-score04=19:23 | RD2-team05 ='Suwama' | RD2-team06 =Takao Omori | RD2-score05=Pin | RD2-score06=20:26 | RD2-team07 =Kotaro Suzuki | RD2-team08 ='Akebono' | RD2-score07=Pin | RD2-score08=10:49 | RD3-team01 =Kento Miyahara | RD3-team02 ='Go Shiozaki' | RD3-score01=Pin | RD3-score02=17:08 | RD3-team03 ='Suwama' | RD3-team04 =Akebono | RD3-score03=Sub | RD3-score04=08:24 | RD4-team01 ='Go Shiozaki' | RD4-team02 =Suwama | RD4-score01=Pin | RD4-score02=29:55 }} 2015 The 2015 Ōdō Tournament took place between September 10 and 26 and featured sixteen wrestlers. The participants were revealed on August 24. Included were the reigning Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion and 2013 Ōdō Tournament winner Akebono, reigning World Tag Team Champion and 2014 Ōdō Tournament winner Go Shiozaki, his championship partner Kento Miyahara and debuting outsiders Shuji Ishikawa and Yuji Hino. Tournaent brackets were revealed on August 29. Jun Akiyama, the president of AJPW, won the tournament, defeating Akebono in the finals on September 26. Akiyama went on defeating Akebono in a rematch on November 1 to win the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship. | RD1-team03 =Hikaru Sato | RD1-team04 ='Suwama' | RD1-score03=Pin | RD1-score04=14:29 | RD1-team05 ='Kento Miyahara' | RD1-team06 =Yutaka Yoshie | RD1-score05=Pin | RD1-score06=15:00 | RD1-team07 =Takao Omori | RD1-team08 ='Shuji Ishikawa' | RD1-score07=Pin | RD1-score08=13:31 | RD1-team09 ='Yuji Hino' | RD1-team10 =Zeus | RD1-score09=Pin | RD1-score10=11:26 | RD1-team11 ='Yoshinobu Kanemaru' | RD1-team12 =KENSO | RD1-score11=Pin | RD1-score12=14:19 | RD1-team13 ='Atsushi Aoki' | RD1-team14 =Kotaro Suzuki | RD1-score13=Pin | RD1-score14=16:08 | RD1-team15 ='Jun Akiyama' | RD1-team16 =Go Shiozaki | RD1-score15=Pin | RD1-score16=08:20 | RD2-team01 ='Akebono' | RD2-team02 =Suwama | RD2-score01=DQ | RD2-score02=16:39 | RD2-team03 =Kento Miyahara | RD2-team04 ='Shuji Ishikawa' | RD2-score03=Pin | RD2-score04=15:03 | RD2-team05 ='Yuji Hino' | RD2-team06 =Yoshinobu Kanemaru | RD2-score05=Pin | RD2-score06=11:39 | RD2-team07 =Atsushi Aoki | RD2-team08 ='Jun Akiyama' | RD2-score07=Pin | RD2-score08=17:20 | RD3-team01 ='Akebono' | RD3-team02 =Shuji Ishikawa | RD3-score01=Pin | RD3-score02=06:42 | RD3-team03 =Yuji Hino | RD3-team04 ='Jun Akiyama' | RD3-score03=Pin | RD3-score04=12:42 | RD4-team01 =Akebono | RD4-team02 ='Jun Akiyama' | RD4-score01=Pin | RD4-score02=08:46 }} 2016 The 2016 Ōdō Tournament took place between September 4 and 19. The participants were revealed on August 6. Included were the reigning Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Kento Miyahara, the 2015 Ōdō Tournament winner Jun Akiyama, reigning World Junior Heavyweight and All Asia Tag Team Champion Hikaru Sato and four debuting outsiders; Kendo Kashin, Mitsuya Nagai, Ryoji Sai and Taishi Takizawa. On September 19, Suwama defeated Zeus in the finals to win the tournament. Suwama received his shot at the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship on November 27 unsucessfully challenging Miyahara. Suwama became the first wrestler to not defeat the Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion in his championship match. | RD1-team03 =Jake Lee | RD1-team04 ='Ryoji Sai' | RD1-score03=Pin | RD1-score04=08:22 | RD1-team05 =Hikaru Sato | RD1-team06 ='Mitsuya Nagai' | RD1-score05=Sub | RD1-score06=11:57 | RD1-team07 ='Jun Akiyama' | RD1-team08 =Takao Omori | RD1-score07=Pin | RD1-score08=13:45 | RD1-team09 =Yuma Aoyagi | RD1-team10 ='Kendo Kashin' | RD1-score09=Sub | RD1-score10=06:38 | RD1-team11 ='Atsushi Aoki' | RD1-team12 =Yutaka Yoshie | RD1-score11=Pin | RD1-score12=08:51 | RD1-team13 =Naoya Nomura | RD1-team14 ='Taishi Takizawa' | RD1-score13=Pin | RD1-score14=10:50 | RD1-team15 =Kento Miyahara | RD1-team16 ='Suwama' | RD1-score15=Pin | RD1-score16=18:56 | RD2-team01 ='Zeus' | RD2-team02 =Ryoji Sai | RD2-score01=Pin | RD2-score02=18:51 | RD2-team03 =Mitsuya Nagai | RD2-team04 ='Jun Akiyama' | RD2-score03=Pin | RD2-score04=13:07 | RD2-team05 ='Kendo Kashin' | RD2-team06 =Atsushi Aoki | RD2-score05=Pin | RD2-score06=09:59 | RD2-team07 =Taishi Takizawa | RD2-team08 ='Suwama' | RD2-score07=Pin | RD2-score08=14:06 | RD3-team01 ='Zeus' | RD3-team02 =Jun Akiyama | RD3-score01=Pin | RD3-score02=10:33 | RD3-team03 =Kendo Kashin | RD3-team04 ='Suwama' | RD3-score03=Sub | RD3-score04=08:10 | RD4-team01 =Zeus | RD4-team02 ='Suwama' | RD4-score01=Pin | RD4-score02=25:36 }} 2017 The 2017 Ōdō Tournament took place between September 12 and 23. The participants were revealed on July 17. Included were the reigning Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Shuji Ishikawa, the 2016 Ōdō Tournament winner Suwama, reigning World Junior Heavyweight and All Asia Tag Team Champion Hikaru Sato and three debuting outsiders; freelancers KAI and Tajiri, from New Japan Pro Wrestling Yoshitatsu. Jake Lee was scheduled to take part in the tournament, but was forced to pull out after suffering a knee injury. He was replaced by Kotaro Suzuki. On September 23, Suwama defeated Zeus in the finals to win the tournament. Following the win Suwama became the only wrestler to win the tournament twice. Suwama went on to defeat Kento Miyahara on October 9 to win the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship for the sixth time. | RD1-team03 ='Shuji Ishikawa' | RD1-team04 =The Bodyguard | RD1-score03=Pin | RD1-score04=06:51 | RD1-team05 ='Kento Miyahara' | RD1-team06 =KAI | RD1-score05=Pin | RD1-score06=19:22 | RD1-team07 =Tajiri | RD1-team08 ='Yoshitatsu' | RD1-score07=Pin | RD1-score08=09:28 | RD1-team09 ='Suwama' | RD1-team10 =Naoya Nomura | RD1-score09=Pin | RD1-score10=13:33 | RD1-team11 ='Koji Iwamoto' | RD1-team12 =Yuma Aoyagi | RD1-score11=Pin | RD1-score12=10:52 | RD1-team13 =Kotaro Suzuki | RD1-team14 ='Atsushi Aoki' | RD1-score13=Pin | RD1-score14=20:48 | RD1-team15 =Hikaru Sato | RD1-team16 ='Joe Doering' | RD1-score15=Pin | RD1-score16=04:14 | RD2-team01 =Zeus | RD2-team02 ='Shuji Ishikawa' | RD2-score01=Pin | RD2-score02=20:13 | RD2-team03 ='Kento Miyahara' | RD2-team04 =Yoshitatsu | RD2-score03=Pin | RD2-score04=19:13 | RD2-team05 ='Suwama' | RD2-team06 =Koji Iwamoto | RD2-score05=Pin | RD2-score06=13:05 | RD2-team07 =Atsushi Aoki | RD2-team08 ='Joe Doering' | RD2-score07=Pin | RD2-score08=13:51 | RD3-team01 ='Shuji Ishikawa' | RD3-team02 =Kento Miyahara | RD3-score01=Pin | RD3-score02=13:41 | RD3-team03 ='Suwama' | RD3-team04 =Joe Doering | RD3-score03=Sub | RD3-score04=07:43 | RD4-team01 =Shuji Ishikawa | RD4-team02 ='Suwama' | RD4-score01=Pin | RD4-score02=16:54 }} 2018 The 2018 Ōdō Tournament will take place between September 15 and 24. The participants were revealed on July 15. Included were the reigning Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion Kento Miyahara, the 2017 Ōdō Tournament winner Suwama and three debuting outsiders; from Land's End Pro Wrestling Ryoji Sai, from Pro Wrestling Malta Gianni Valletta, from Kaientai Dojo Kengo Mashimo and freelancer Yuji Hino. 2019 The 2019 Ōdō Tournament took place between September 14 and 23. The participants were revealed on July 16. Included were the reigning Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion and the 2018 Ōdō Tournament winner Kento Miyahara, the 2017 Ōdō Tournament winner Suwama and three debuting outsiders; from Land's End Pro Wrestling Ryoji Sai, from Pro Wrestling Malta Gianni Valletta, from Active Pro Wrestling Taishi Takizawa and freelancer Jiro Kuroshio. Gallery |-| Gallery= ōdōtrophy.jpg|Ōdō tournament trophy |-| Winners= Akebonoōdō.jpg|Akebono shiozakiōdō.jpg|Go Shiozaki akiyamaōdō.jpg|Jun Akiyama suwamaōdō.jpg|Suwama miyaharaōdō.jpg|Kento Miyahara leeōdō.jpg|Jake Lee References Category:Events Category:Tournaments Category:AJPW Events